Cloudland Canyon: Georgia's Grand Canyon

Cloudland Canyon State Park sits 60 miles southeast of Chattanooga in the northwest corner of Georgia — a 3,485-acre park on the western slope of Lookout Mountain where two creeks have cut a gorge 1,000 feet deep through the Cumberland Plateau sandstone. From the canyon rim, the two arms of the gorge frame a view comparable to a miniature Grand Canyon in the blue-green of Georgia hardwoods. The two waterfall trails — Cherokee Falls and Hemlock Falls — descend 600 steps into the gorge interior to consecutive waterfalls of 60 and 90 feet on Bear Creek. The West Rim Loop in the afternoon covers the full canyon rim with the best panoramic views from the far western edge. The return drive north through Lookout Valley closes a full day of genuine canyon-scale hiking within easy reach of Chattanooga.